One thing that is often overlooked in the Tech Ed realm is the facilitation and logistical aspects. There are millions of devices in classrooms all over the world that are used every day. These devices are maintained, monitored and managed by a small group of professionals. As the world of ed tech grows more mobile, while increasing in density, it will be crucial that education institutions develop clear plans and expectations around the roles of ed tech professionals.
Changing Roles?
The educator/ school professional of today has many roles, teacher, coach, facilitator, mentor, and administrator, to name a few. What about technology? In the past, technology has been the realm of a department or even whole position(s) in a school. While 80-85% of school budgets are tied to salaries, a position solely dedicated to hardware/ technology, seems like one that could be evaluated further for overall viability and effectiveness. This is not to say that a position dedicated to the management of hardware, and more importantly, a school network is not vital, however, the role of these positions is certainly worth examining in the days of tightened school budgets and accountability. Looking into a crystal ball of technology is impossible, it stands to reason that some very time/ labor intensive parts of Information Technology (IT) will and are changing. Will schools require huge, clumsy, land line phone systems? What about schools that are Bring Your Own Device (BYOD)? Computer labs are on the way out, if not already, at best obsolete. In the day of cheap, mobile computing, does it make sense to be funding a full position to manage devices? The answer is no, but take heart full-time school tech guru, there is still a robust role for you to fill in most places of learning.
The Return of Technology Education.
“The device in your pocket is more powerful than any of the tech used to land men on the moon.” This often used (and abused) quote is a bit of a misnomer. Sure, the actual computing power of an IPhone is greater than what they had during the Apollo missions, but there is one big difference. The people at NASA new (and know) how to use every bit of that computing power to its fullest. Today, we are lucky to be fully organized digitally, let alone, using our iPads to launch rockets. Of course, that isn’t to say that there aren’t individuals and institutions doing amazing things with digital devices, including schools, but the scale is so tiny it mine as well be 1965. What if technology use could be scaled up further? Would it spark greater, the learning evolution/ revolution that is already migrating to the web? The answer is yes, it is also the answer to the malingered role of the IT professional. Nearly everyone employed by a learning institution should be a teacher in some capacity. From the head administrator to the lunch crew, everyone can teach in some way. So should the IT department. Keyboarding, Social Networking,Digital organization, Blogging, Web Design, and e-commerce are all soft skills that almost every working professional needs in the 21st century economy (those that don’t have them are probably not working). The hard skills would include digital design, network administration, coding/ programming and analytic's. These aren't being taught in today’s schools, and it shows. Stop fixing phone lines and jammed printers! It’s time to empower the tech professional employed by learning institutions to lead groups of learners in their area of expertise.
Fix it!
Through changing the often rigid roles and expectations around technology in education institutions like public schools, there will be immediate dividends paid. Those that continue to have IT professionals fixing hard drives and monitoring computer labs will languish further, eventually left to die on the proverbial vine. With proper role and expectation shifting, however, schools can take better advantage of the professional expertise they already have.
Very interesting perspective! I like how you state that everyone that works in a learning institution should be a teacher. I think that's a great way to look at our roles in schools to establish what can make education better for everyone.
ReplyDeleteI'd also point out that what you called "soft skills" are things that I think should be less focused on and encountered through all classes, not just tech specific classes. Just like literacy and math are supposed to transcend their own core classes, these skills should be their own literacy that is adopted in all aspects of curriculum. I sometimes feel that it is unfair for a kid to be at a school where he gets these skills from one teacher, but another student is at a disadvantage because he/she doesn't have the same teacher and misses the opportunities.
The nature of a tech position in a school will not always be needed, but people with knowledge of how to implement technology effectively and to empower other teachers is imperative.